IFA urges minister to make changes to animal health and welfare bill

IFA animal health chairman John Waters has called on Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney to introduce significant changes to the new Animal Health and Welfare Bill when it returns to the Dáil in late September.

Mr Waters said that IFA members are disappointed that the bill had passed through all stages in the Seanad without taking on board a number of key concerns of farmers.

“It must be recognised in the bill that farmers operate to the highest animal welfare standards and are already heavily regulated by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.”